Method and apparatus for shrinking textile fabrics



Sept. 1, 1936. I F, SIMPSON 2,052,948

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHRINKING TEXTILE FABRICS I Filed Oct. 15, 1952a Sheets-Sheet 1 f1 E- l 7 Q INVENTOR:

, 201ye61222fsa ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 1, 1936- G. F. SIMPSON METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHRINKING TEXTILEFABRICS v 3 Shets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 15, 1932 1N VENTOR:

5601:961 52 115050, I "Wm ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 1, 1936. G 5 P N 2,052,948

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHRINKING TEXTILE FABRICS Filed Oct. 15, 1932 3Sheets-Sheet S ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 1, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SBBINKING TEXTILE FABRICS ApplicationOctober 15, 1932, Serial No. 637,979

6Claims.

This invention has for its object a process, or method, of shrinking andfinishing textile fabrics in a simple and inexpensive manner by the useof the natural elements of heat, moisture, air, and pressure, withoutliability of disturbing the proper alinement of either the warp, or weftyarn, or impairing or removing color from the dye or printed fabric, sothat the final finish is comparable with, or the same as, thatestablished by the textile trade for designated kinds and qualities offabrics, and so that the shrunken fabric is free from creases, or marks,of any kind.

It is a well known fact that all woven fabrics are manufactured underconditions that subject them to a great strain in a warpwise direction.The yarn itself is strained in spinning, and is continuously undertension in all of the operations of weaving, bleaching, dyeing, and inthe-various methods of finishing, or ironing, through which it is passedto impart luster to the final finish. Practically all fabrics, as madeand sold by their manufacturers, are subject to a considerable amount,of shrinkage because of having been subjected to continued strain inthe manufacturing processes, when they are subjected to the elements ofheat, moisture, air, and pressure, as in laundry, or cleansingoperations, so that garments made from the fabric shrink when laundered.The shrinkage of the fabric is most noticable in the warpwise direction,it amounting in some instances to ten percent of its length, and varyingaccording to the nature of its construction, twist of the yarn, lengthof the fibers, and tenslonal strain in manufacturing.

My shrinking process consists primarily of releasing the fabric from alltension, and allowing it to react naturally to the elements of heat,moisture, air, and pressure, and thereby effecting a complete change inits character due to the contracting action of these forces. Therefore,my process is based on the theory that any fabric to be shrunk properlymust be as free as possible from tension. That is, it must be carried,and not pulled, from one stage in the shrinking and finishing operation,to another. The process or method consists of shrinking continuous webtracted fabric in its contracted form. The con- I .tracting in bothlengthwise and crosswise directions is effected by alternately heatingand chilling the fabric while spread out substantially flat withoutbeing under tension and at the same time mechanically and uniformlycontracting the web throughout its area.

My process consists in shrinking and dampening the fabric by subjectingthe same to alternate hot and cold water treatments while beingsupported and carried in open continuous web form, so that it isreleased of all tension, and while being treated to the water operationsmechanically. contracting both warpwise and widthwise, l0 drying thefabric so contracted, and finally pressing it, the mechanicalcontracting operation being efiected by applying the alternate hot andcold water treatments under pressure to one side as the upper side ofthe fabric while being carried 5 on a reticulated, or wire meshconveyor, the action of the water under pressure pressing the fabricinto the mesh or interstices of the conveyor.

The cloth is fed from a bolt, roll, or pile, in open continuous web forminto a substantially closed cabinet in which is mounted a belt conveyor,the upper run of which is horizontal, the belt being of a reticulated,or coarse wire mesh. The fabric is fed from the bolt, roll, or pile, bysuitable feed rollers at the entrance end of the cabinet and moistenedby steam or water before passing through the feed roll. From the feedroll, the cloth falls on the upper run of the reticulated conveyor andis carried slowly through the carriage. While so passing, the cloth issubjected to sprays of hot and cold water, the hot water sprays heatingthe cloth, and the cold water sprays chilling it causing the fibers tocontract naturally. The water is projected in jets, or sprayed on theupper surface of the fabric only, and the force, or pressure, of thejets or sprays downward on the cloth and the weight of the water in thecloth, forces the cloth into the mesh of the conveyor thus mechanicallycontracting, or shrinking, the fabric both warpwise and crosswise. Themesh of the conveyor leaves its imprint in the cloth and the imprintremains after the cloth passes through the squeeze rolls, to .bepresently described.

With some cloths, the imprint is clearly visible after the cloth passesthrough the squeeze rolls, and with other cloths it is invisible to thenaked eye, but nevertheless present. In any case, the shrinking orcontraction effected by forcibly pressing the cloth into the mesh of.the conveyor by the action of the water jets remains in the cloth.

The conveyor runs slower than the feed rolls so that the cloth is fedfrom the feed rolls onto the conveyor faster than the conveyor carriesthe cloth along, the speed ratio being such that the 55 cloth falls insmall substantially uniform transverse waves, the waves being not highenough to cause creases. Also, means is provided to cause the wet clothleaving the feed rolls to fall in similar transverse loops or waves.This operation arranges the cloth with uniform or' evenly distributedslack or looseness on the conveyor so that the action of the water jetswill press the cloth substantially uniformly into the mesh of theconveyor. From the conveyor, the cloth is passed without stretchingit'to between squeeze rolls with sufficient pressure to remove freewater and then is carried while still in open web form to a dryingcabinet where it is fed onto a wire mesh belt conveyor. The dryingcabinet is heated and also provided with means for blowing air throughthe fabric on the conveyor, preferably from the upper side thereof. Fromthe cabinet, the fabric is carried, without stretching it, to betweenthe jaws of a platen press which applies pressure to the web in adirection of a right angle to its surface so that no tension is appliedto the fabric during the pressing operation. In order to avoid pullingthe cloth while being conveyed between the pressing elements of thepressing machine,

the cloth is buoyed up, or floated into the space between the pressingelements by a body of air blown upwardly through the lower pressingelement. The pressing elements, that is, the head and buck of thepressing machine are heated, and the heat therefrom finally dries thefabric, and the air currents lift the fabric from the pad of the lowerpressing element when the press opens, so

that the fabric can be continuously removed from p the press withouttensioning it. The press head is a wide platen pivotally mounted andduring its closing movement creates a gentle outrush of air away fromthe edge toward its pivotal axis. This outrush of air has a smoothingout effect on the cloth preliminary to pressing.

From the press, the cloth is wound in a roll, or bolt, ready to beshipped to the garment n'i'anufacturer.

Thus, by my process, the fabric is carried in its open continuous webform-from either bolts, rolls or piles through the various operationswhich permit the fabric to move forward without any restraining orpulling effect at any point, either warpwise, or widthwise, and whilebeing so carried, contracts or shrinks it naturally under the influenceof heat, air, water, and pressure.

In the drawings, I have shown one form of. apparatus for carrying outthis process;

Figure l is a diagrammatic view of a portion of the apparatus forcarrying out my process, and Figure 2 is a similar view of the remainingportion, Figure 2 being a continuation of Figure 1.

Figures 3 and 4. are fragmentary detail planand edge views of theconveyor.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of a modified form of the entranceportion of the apparatus shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure showing a modification of thestructure shown in Figure 5.

This apparatus for shrinking and drying web fabrics or cloth in the webincludes shrinking and drying apparatus, the former comprising anendless foraminous travelling belt on which the cloth is supported atease and without tension or restraint, drawing rolls to draw the clothfrom a source thereof and deliver it in slack form onto the belt, means,as nozzles, to direct water onto the drawn cloth prior to its deliveryto the belt, another water delivering or applying means to direct thewater onto the cloth on said belt, and it further includes means fordelivering the wet cloth in slack form to a drying apparatus alsoincluding an endless foraminous travelling belt on which the cloth isdeposited at ease and free of tension or restraint, and means tocirculate heated air over said cloth on the last-named belt and throughthe cloth and the belt, and means, as a press, for permanently settingthe fibers of the web in their contracted form.

The apparatus consists primarily of units preferably set in a straightline close together, the units being a moistening, or saturatingcabinet; a drying cabinet; and a pressing, or ironing, machine. It alsomay include a rolling device for rolling up the finished fabric.

I designates the moistening cabinet in which are located suitable meansfor carrying the fabric in open web form without subjecting it totension in any direction, a movable conveyor consisting of a belt 3 ofopen work, or reticulated material, running over suitable rollers 4, thebelt being arranged with its runs, and particularly its upper run onwhich the fabric is carried, in horizontal position, and suitableconduits having sprays and control valves arranged to project hot andcold water against the fabric on the upper run of the belt, and pressthe fabric into the mesh, or interstices of the belt, this actionmechanically contracting the fabric, or facilitating the contracting dueto the moistening and hot and cold water treatments.

5 designates the hot water jets, and 6 the cold water jets.

The fabric is initially taken from a belt, or roll l, or from a pile, as8, and passed over suitable guiding bars, as 9, for the purpose ofstraightening it, and then down between sprays iii of hot water locatedon opposite sides of the fabric. The fabric then passes between a pairof rubber surface squeeze rolls H by the action of which the water inthe cloth from the sprays ill is pressed and distributed into theinnermost fibers of the fabric. From the squeeze rolls it, the fabricpasses in a slight loop over a spray if of high pressure steam directedagainst the lower side thereof. The steam increases the heat content andmakes the fabric more pliable, and also acts somewhat as a doifer forpreventing the fabric from following around the feed roll, or around thebaiiie roll, to be presently described.

The cloth passes from the squeeze roll ii and spray i2 over, what forconvenience I have called, a baflle roll i3, this being arranged abovethe receiving end of the conveyor belt 2, and being formed with acorrugated periphery, or with comparatively long lengthwise blades atintervals for the purpose of giving a wavy. effect to the wet fabric. Asteam jet i4 is also provided directed against the fabric between thebaflle rolls i3 and the belt 2 to prevent the fabric from followingaround the baflle roll, and also to facilitate the waving effect. Thebafile roll I3 is connected to the actuating mechanism for the belt andsqueeze rolls H, and travels at the same peripheral speed as the squeezerolls, and at a slightly greater speed than the belt and hence, thefabric is deposited by the baffie roll IS on the belt 2 with miniaturewaves, folds, or wrinkles, which are more or less uniform, orsubstantially or evenly distributed, or regular in form, thus providingthe wet fabric on the conveyor with evenly distributed slack so that theaction of the Jets 5, 6, will press the fabric formed with the small, orminiature waves, or wrinkles, into the mesh of the conveyor, andmechanically contract the fabric.

As the belt, or conveyor 2, moves forward, it carries the fabric thusloosely laid thereon under the alternate jets or sprays 5, 6, of hot andcold water, the water being under considerable pressure, and the forceof the sprays presses the pliable fabric into the mesh of the conveyor,or belt 2, the final sprays of water being cold, or of a lowtemperature, serves to set or fix the fibers in the fabric so as to makea temporarily permanent noticeable pattern of the mesh of the belt onthe fabric caused by its having been pressedinto the open meshes of thebelt, and causing the fabric to become firm, or stiffened, at the pointwhere it leaves the conveyor.

The fabric then passes through a spreading device l for the purpose ofguiding the fabric in a straight line through another pair of squeezerolls 6. These-rolls are rubber faced, and are for the purpose ofremoving a portion of the water, or the water which might be called theexcess water beyond the saturation point, or water which would otherwisedrip out of the cloth. The'tension of the rolls I5 is regulated so asnot to materially disturb distort 'or press out the pattern formedtherein by the action of the sprays 5, and 6, and the mesh of the belt.The spreading device I 5 is of any'well known form used in the textileindustry.

The fabric leaving the squeeze rolls l6 carries a varying degree ofmoisture according to the character of the fabric. Usually, the moisturecontent is from fifty to eighty percent of moisture by weight. Thefabric is then carried, without tensioning it, to the drying cabinet H.

In the illustrated embodiment of this apparatus, the fabric is carriedby a movable belt conveyor I8, on the entrance end of which it passesfrom the squeeze rolls l6. It is deposited on the conveyor ill in smallminiature folds for the reason that the conveyor i6 is geared to theactuating mechanism to run slightly slower than the rolls 16. Instead ofa conveyor l8, the fabric may be deposited in folds, or piles, in asuitable truck IS. The conveyor l8 carries the fabric to the dryingcabinet I| where it first passes over a feed roll 20 in front of thedrying cabinet. This roll 20 is arranged to deposit the fabric on theentrance end of a conveyor belt 2| in the cabinet H, the belt runningover suitable rolls or pulleys 22 and the upper run being arranged inhorizontal position. The roll 20 moves slightly faster than the belt 2|and hence, deposits the fabric on the belt in slightly wrinkled, orlooped, condition in a crosswise direction, the loops or wrinkles beingsubstantially uniform. The cabinet I! is closed with the exception of asuitable outlet or breather, and is provided with heating means as coils23 for heating the air and the cloth therein. It is also provided withsuitable air circulating means as fans or blowers 24, so that the fabricis dried in the cabinet H by the action of the high temperatures plusthe rapidly moving air currents. The fabric is carried, withouttensioning it, from the drying cabinet I! to between the jaws or platens25 and 26 of a mechanical pressing machine, and as here shown the belt2| deposits the fabric on a conveyor 21 running slightly slower than thebelt 2|, and from the conveyor 21 over the lower pressing element 26 ofthe pressing machine between a pair of feed rolls 28,

and from the feed rolls it is wound up, without tensioning it, in a roll29.

A suitable guiding device 30 is provided be tween the conveyor 21 andthe pressing machine, for the purpose of keeping the fabric in alinementas it passes between the jaws or platens 25, 26, this guiding devicebeing of any well known form used in the textile industry to guide websof fabric.

In order to avoid tensioning of the fabric while passing between theplatens 25 and 26, the cloth is floated, or buoyed up by air currentspassing upwardly through the lower platen, or pressing element 26. Thisaction also straightens the cloth of any wrinkles that might form acrease or mark during the pressing operation. The upper element or jaw25 of the pressing machine has an opening and closing movement, andduring the opening movement, the fabric is fed relatively to thepressing machine, the part pressed being carried onto the roll 29, andthe part to be pressed fed between the jaws of the pressing machine.tion, and the means for synchronizing the feeding of the cloth with theopening and closing of the pressing machine per se, forms no part of myinvention. However, there is one feature of its operation that entersinto this process. This feature is the preliminary smoothing out of thefabric by the air current created by the upper element 25 while movingtoward the lower element, that is, by the air displaced by the closingof the element 25.

The element or head 25 .is carried by levers 3| which are pivoted at 32to the frame of the machine, the pivot being located in the rear of butnear the rear edge of the head 25, with respect to the direction ofmovement of the fabric. The surfaces of the head 25 and the lowerelement 26 are comparatively wide. As the head 25 closes, the airoverlying the fabric is displaced for the most part toward the free edgeof the head 25 and has a gentle smoothing eifect on the fabricpreliminary to the pressing operation.

In Figure 5 is shown a modified form of apparatus for soaking certainkinds of fabric preliminary to feeding it onto the belt 3, and beforepassing it between the rolls II.

This consists of a vat or tank 32 for water or water containing an agentfor softening the fabric, upper and lower belt conveyors 33, 34 with thelower run of the upper conveyor over and spaced from the upper run ofthe lower conveyor. the opposing runs being horizontal and submerged inthe fluid in the tanks, the belts having transverse blades 35, 36, theblades on one belt extending between the blades on the other and meansfor feeding the fabric between the belts. This means is shown as aninclined or curved chute or conduit 31 having top and bottom walls 36,39 and means as rolls 40 for feeding the fabric from a roll 4| into theconduit so that it falls in uniform folds 42 in the conduit filling thesame and passes in folds between the belts 3|. The lower belt 34 islonger than the upper providing a receiving station 43 and deliverystation 44 at opposite ends of the belts. The fabric is fed from theroll 4| over guiding device 45 between feed rolls 40 delivering into thechute. It is moistened on the rolls by a steam jet 45 and is folded orlooped to pile evenly in the chute 31 by a folder 41. This is a bladeextending radially from a rotatable shaft 48. The fabric hangstangentially toward one side of the chute and the blade 46 alternatelydeflects toward the other The pressing machine and its operaside of thechute and permits it to return to its natural tangential position, thuscausing the fab ric to pile up in uniform folds in the chute. The foldsare transferred to the receiving end of the lower belt between theblades 36 thereof and the blades 35 of the upper run hold the loopssubstantially uniformly on the lower belt and prevent the fabric fromfloating. The fabric is led from the delivery end of the belt 34 to feedrolls l9 corresponding to the rolls ii and thence through the cabinet i.The tank or vat 32 may be heated, if

desired, as by heating coils 50.

- In Figure 6 a construction ls shown in which the upper belt 3i isomitted and the upper wall of the chute 31 extended as at 5| over theupper ends of the blades 36 of the belt 34 to prevent the folds betweenthe blades of the belt from floating.

This process provides for carrying the fabric in its open continuous webform from the original manufactured form. that is, either from bolts orrolls through various operations which allow the fabric to move forwardwithout any restraining effect at any point, and which permits thefabric to react naturally to the elements of heat, moisture, andpressure, this reaction being facilitated or stimulated by the pressingof the fabric into the mesh of the conveyor by the pressure of waterjets directed against the upper side of the fabric while on theconveyor.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for shrinking and drying cloth in the web includingshrinking apparatus and drying apparatus, said shrinking apparatuscomprising an endless foraminous travelling belt on which the cloth issupported at ease and without restraint, drawing rolls to draw the clothfrom a source thereof and to deliver it in slack form onto said belt,nozzles to direct water onto the drawn cloth prior to its delivery tosaid belt. and other nozzles to direct water onto the cloth on saidbelt.

2. Apparatus for shrinking and drying cloth in the web includingshrinking apparatus and drying apparatus. said shrinking apparatuscomprising an .endlessforaminous travelling belt on which the cloth issupported at ease and without restraint, means to deliver slack clothonto said belt, means to direct water onto the cloth on the belt andfrom the cloth through the belt and means to deliver the wet cloth inslack form to said drying apparatus, said drying apparatus comprising anendless foraminous travelling belt on which the cloth is deposited atease and free from restraint, and means to circulate heated air oversaid cloth on said belt and through the cloth and the belt.

3. Apparatus for shrinking cloth in a continuous manner comprisingshrinking apparatus having means including a foraminous belt foradvancing a web of cloth in a continuous manner free from tension on itsstrands, and means for saturating a portion of the cloth on the beltwith water, and allowing water to pass from another portion of the cloththrough the belt, drying apparatus having means including a foraminousbelt for advancing the web free from tension on its strands, and meansfor 'circulat ing a web-drying medium in the vicinity of the web andthrough the web and the belt, and

means for delivering the web from the shrinking apparatus to the dryingapparatus free from deleterious tension on its strands.

4. Apparatus for shrinking cloth comprising shrinking apparatus havingmeans for advancing a web of cloth free from tension on its strands,

means for saturating the cloth with water, drying apparatus having meansfor advancing the web free from tension on its strands, means forcirculating a web-drying medium in the vicinity of the web, finishingapparatus having means for advancing the web, and means for pressing thedry web, and means for delivering the web from one apparatus to anotherfree from deleterious tension on its strands.

tracting the web in lengthwise and crosswise directions throughout itsarea the contracting in both lengthwise and crosswise directions takingplace simultaneously and permanently setting the fabric in itscontracted form.

GEORGE FREDK. SIMPSON.

